Circle the correct answer to complete the text below.

DRIVING IN CHINA

The number of cars in China is increasing by 25% a year, and billions are being invested in new roads. A (1) far/ quite/ bit more worrying statistic is the number of road accidents, which is growing at an alarming rate - one person dies every six minutes on Chinese roads. This is (2) hardly/ almost/ nearly surprising when one takes into account the fact that many drivers have never had a driving lesson in their lives. The proper procedure for obtaining a driving licence involves a six-week course but many drivers prefer a (3) very/ much/ many less time-consuming method - they arrange to buy one. With so many inexperienced drivers bribing their way onto the road, accident rates seem likely to get (4) bit/ quite/ even worse. Cars are becoming (5) more/ as/ just and more popular, particularly for weekend leisure trips, even though (6) by far/ most/ rather the best course of action would seem to be to stay away from the roads altogether. Despite the investment in the country’s infrastructure, roads are primitive and (7) incredibly/ utterly/ partly hazardous, jammed with everything from pedestrians and animals to bicycles and huge container trucks, which an expert driver would find (8) just/ like/ every as impossible to negotiate safely. The pace of change has (9) absolutely/ usually/ clearly caused problems, and the Chinese may well find that Westernisation is not (10) so/ the/ any much a blessing as a curse.

It hasn’t snowed anywhere near as heavily this year as in previous years. MUCH → This year, there has………………..in previous years.